WASHINGTON, February 25, 2013 —The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is collecting public comment at www.ams.usda.gov/nosbmeetings in advance of its spring meeting in Portland, Oregon, April 9-11.

The meeting of the board, which occurs twice a year, provides a public forum for the organic community to weigh-in on issues concerning organic production and processing. The upcoming meeting will take place at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower, 921 Southwest 6th Avenue, Portland, OR 97204.

During the meeting, the board will address several petitions pertaining to changes to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, including amino acids proposed for use in organic pet food, sulfuric acid, polyoxin D zinc salt, and tetracycline use for fire blight control in apple and pear production. The board will also hear updates from the aquaculture working group as part of their ongoing work on organic aquaculture. The agenda of topics and current proposals are available at www.ams.usda.gov/nosbmeetings (select “April 9-11, 2013” from the drop-down menu).

Written comments on the proposals can be submitted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at www.regulations.gov. While the meeting is open to the public, the National Organic Program invites those interested in sharing comments orally at the meeting to register in advance. Pre-registration to provide oral comments must be completed by March 19. More information about commenting requirements is available at www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings.

The NOSB is an advisory committee of organic industry and stakeholder representatives established by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The board recommends whether a substance should be allowed or prohibited in organic production or handling, assists in developing standards for substances to be used in organic production, and advises the Secretary of Agriculture on other aspects of the organic regulations. Twice a year in the spring and fall, the board convenes to listen to public comments, discuss specific items pertaining to organic agriculture, and vote on recommendations for the National Organic Program to consider. Currently, the NOSB has seven subcommittees working on various topics of interest to the National Organic Program. The subcommittees are: Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification; Crops; Handling; Livestock; Materials; Policy Development; and the ad hoc Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).

The National Organic Program is responsible for ensuring the integrity of USDA organic agricultural products in the United States and throughout the world. More information is available at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.